


Black Salt Cage

by tomefairemar



Category: Happy Sugar Life (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:21:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24176557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomefairemar/pseuds/tomefairemar
Summary: A story that follows the life of Shio Koube several years after the ending of Happy Sugar Life.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 60





	1. Sweet Feelings

“Shio Koube! I like you! Please go out with me!”

Shio stared blankly down at the boy bowing awkwardly before her. His knees shook, and if she were able to see his face it would surely be drenched with sweat. Her staring created a silence long enough for him to break his stance and look up at her expectantly.

She smiled, and his face lit up.

“Um, I-”

“I’m sorry.” Shio interrupted. The light in the boy’s face drained away. “I already have someone in my heart.”

Before he could formulate any sort of response, Shio whipped around and dashed off.

\---

As she rounded yet another corner, Shio slowed her pace. She was grateful that she was able to escape the situation, but lamented that she was unable to handle it more effectively.

_I hope Kiiya-kun isn’t mad at me…_

She shook her head.

_No, he’s an understanding person. I’m sure everything will be totally normal tomorrow._

She directed her gaze to the night sky.

_But still, I never would have thought…_

Her and Kiiya had been good friends since the start of high school, but she had never once thought of him in a romantic way. In fact, she never even considered it a possibility for him to feel that way towards her.

_A relationship with Kiiya-kun…_

Shaking her head once more, she quickly banished those thoughts, feeling bad for even having had them in the first place. Turning the final corner on her route home, she smiled and gazed down at the ring that adorned her left hand.

Her mind didn’t have any room for such silly things.

_I already have all that I’ll ever need waiting for me at home._

\---

Shio skipped happily past the row of apartment doors, her thoughts of the day’s turbulent events having been overtaken by the feelings of glee associated with returning home.

Having finally reached her destination near the end of the row, she faced towards her apartment and took a deep breath. Clutching her bag, she inserted the keys and threw open the door.

“I’m home!”

Her words echoed through the dark, empty apartment.

Enthusiastically, Shio took off her shoes and flipped on the lights. A few moments later, she stood beaming in front of a table that had been pushed against the wall.

“Satou-chan, I’m so glad to see you! Today has been quite an exhausting day…”

Pinned to that wall was a printed-out picture of a stunningly beautiful girl, her long pink hair collected neatly into two small buns, one adorned with an adorable red ribbon. Scattered around it were several other pictures of the same girl pulled from various sources online, as well as drawings made by Shio herself. In addition, a few newspaper clippings were also pinned; They reported on an apartment building that had been burned down several years ago by a mentally ill woman, as well as the deaths that the act caused.

On the table below laid a ring embedded with a blue gemstone, the girl’s ribbon tied tightly around it. 

“I’ll tell you all about it over dinner. I’m making curry tonight!”

With that, Shio bounced into the kitchen and began cooking.

\---

Shio set down a plate of curry at the table, then pulled out the chair and plopped down into it in one swift motion. She stared down at the dish, admiring her handiwork. Taking a bite, her eyes lit up.

“It’s really good!” Her eyes darted up to meet Satou’s gaze. “I just keep getting better and better at cooking, Satou-chan! I hope you’re proud of me!”

After a moment, however, Shio remembered what she had promised earlier. 

“Oh right,” she said, “I still haven’t told you about what happened today.” She looked down at the curry, mindlessly poking at it with her spoon. “You know Kiiya-kun, right? Surely I’ve told you about him before.”

She paused, taking a bite.

“Well, if you need a reminder, he’s a friend of mine who I met when I started high school.” Shio smiled softly. “He always eats lunch with me, and helps me with my homework, and is just… really nice! He’s a great friend.” 

“But…” she started, shifting in her seat, “Today, right after I got out of work, he confessed to me.” She shoved another spoonful of curry into her mouth, and continued as she chewed. “Ishn’t tat crazhy?”

After taking a moment to swallow, she continued. “Anyway, I obviously turned him down, but…” She hesitated, a frown forming on her face. “I don’t think I handled it well. I kinda… ran away from him right after.” Her expression changed to one of frustration. “I hope he’s not mad at me, or too hurt by my reaction…”

She zoned out for a while, continuing to eat. Eventually, she focused her attention to Satou.

“People confessed to you all the time, right, Satou-chan? How did you deal with all that stress?”

Shio went to scoop up another spoonful of curry, but her spoon came back empty. Looking down, she saw that she had completely cleaned her plate.

“Oh, wow! That was fast!” Shio scratched the back of her head, grinning sheepishly. “I guess I lost track of myself," she said. "I really love curry!”

Shio hopped up. “I know you love curry too, Satou-chan,” she rambled as she cleaned off the table. “Remember, I made some for you when you were all sad after you--”

Shio froze.

_After she what?_

_…_

_…_

_Bitter…_

Wordlessly, Shio brought her plate into the kitchen to wash.

\---

That night, Shio stood once again in front of Satou. She had changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of baby blue pajamas. Her tangled hair, which had previously been pulled hastily into a single side ponytail, hung loose on her shoulders. 

“I’m sorry that I acted weird at dinner earlier, Satou-chan. I let the stress of the day get to me.” Shio bowed. “Please forgive me,” she said solemnly.

“Ah!” Shio exclaimed, shooting her head back up. “I know exactly what we can do to bring the mood back up.” She dashed into her room, returning a few moments later with a blanket draped over her head. She took the ring off of the table, clutching it tightly between her hands as she took her position in front of Satou.

“Our vows.”

Shio began to recite the words that had been permanently etched into her heart.

“In sickness and in health…”

“Through happiness and sadness…”

“For richer, for poorer…”

“I promise to love you, Satou-chan, until death do us part.”

She leaned forward, placing her lips on Satou’s. 

Satou's lips were always cold, but Shio didn’t care.

After a few moments, she pulled away, gazing lovingly into Satou’s eyes. After placing the ring back on the table, she bounced away towards her bedroom.

“Goodnight, Satou-chan! I’ll see you in the morning!”

\---

_Red..._

_Why is everything red?_

Shio stood in an empty void. All she could see was red.

_Where am I?_

The sound of TV static cut through the void.

_What is that?_

The noise grew louder. Shio covered her ears, but it did nothing.

_Stop it…_

The noise closed in on her. She fell to her knees.

_I’m scared…_

Shio felt arms wrap around her from behind.

_Huh?_

The noise faded away.

_Satou-chan?_

She closed her eyes, melting into Satou’s embrace.

_I love you, Satou-chan…_

Shio felt a hand come over her mouth.

_What?_

She opened her eyes to see Satou holding a knife above her.

_What’s happening?_

The noise returned, louder than it had been before.

_No..._

The knife drew closer.

_Satou-chan, please!_

Shio clawed at the hand covering her mouth. The noise was deafening.

_STOP IT!_

The knife pierced her throat.

_SATOU-CHAN!_

\---

Shio shot up out of bed, gasping for air. She brought her hand to her neck. It was intact. Light streamed through the blinds of her bedroom.

Tears streaked down her face, dripping onto the blanket.


	2. Uninvited Guest

_ It was just a nightmare. _

Shio began to change out of her pajamas and into her school uniform. Images of the nightmare flashed in her head. She gritted her teeth.

_ Stop thinking about it. _

She shuffled out of her room and towards the table against the wall.

_ It doesn’t mean anything. _

She stared at Satou; at her welcoming eyes and soft smile.

_ She loves you. _

Picking up the ring and clutching it tightly in her hands, Shio's frown shifted into a smile.

_ Nothing else matters. _

“Good morning, Satou-chan! Let’s have a good day today!”

With that, Shio skipped happily into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast.

By the time she was bouncing out of the door and off to school, she had already forgotten what she was even upset about.

\---

Having finally finished another busy day of school and work, Shio was finally able to relax and let her mind roam free as she walked home.

_ I hope Kiiya-kun is okay… _

Shio had been unable to find Kiiya at all during school that day. She had even texted him several times, but never got any response.

_ He must be really sick… _

As Shio continued along her usual route home, she was suddenly reminded of what was on her mind the last time she was walking this way. Frustrated with herself, she smacked herself on the forehead.

_ You idiot, how did you forget about something like that? Of course he’s not sick. He’s angry at you for what happened yesterday. _

Her pace quickened as her thoughts began racing.

_ Of course he is. I mean, who wouldn’t be? You made a complete fool out of him. _

She closed her eyes and grinded her teeth together, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

_ You’re useless. You’re always going to be alone, no matter what yo- _

“Augh!”

Shio’s internal dialogue was cut short by the sudden impact of a person’s body, knocking her onto her butt. Looking up, she saw a tall, blond man wearing a suit and tie. He was in the same position as her, sitting on the ground awkwardly. Shio quickly scrambled to apologize.

“I’m so sorry, sir! I wasn’t looking where I was going, and--”

“No, no, it’s totally fine!” he interrupted. “I wasn’t looking either, so it’s not your fault.” He got up and brushed himself off, reaching out his hand to Shio and smiling warmly. “Don’t worry about it. Are you hurt?”

Shio grinned sheepishly. “No, I’m fine, thank you,” she stammered as she grabbed his outstretched hand. However, he did not pull her up.

Confused, Shio looked up. She found the man frozen in what appeared to be shock and disbelief, his eyes wide and mouth open. Just a moment later, his voice came out in a whisper.

“Shio-chan?”

Shio could feel her heart beating through her chest as her thoughts overwhelmed her.

_ What’s going on here? _

_ Who is this man? _

_ How does he know my name? _

_ Is he going to hurt me? _

_ Should I run away? _

However, she could no longer hear herself think once the man began speaking again..

“You’re alive?! How can you be alive?! I can’t believe it! There’s no way!” 

As he rambled, the man squirmed about in frantic joy, his eyes poring over every bit of her body. His face burned red, and his hand, which was tightly gripping Shio’s, had quickly become clammy with sweat.

“Is this a dream?! It has to be!”

He brought his face to hers. Now that it was so close, Shio could see a bit of drool coming out of the corner of his mouth.

“Tell me, Shio-chan! Is this a dream?! Please tell me you’re real!”

Shio reached her breaking point. She already had her own thoughts to deal with, and now this strange man was gripping her hand and yelling in her face. Tears began to form in her eyes.

Seeing this, the man’s expression shifted rapidly to one of guilt. He backed away a bit, letting go of her hand. “Oh god, I’m sorry, Shio-chan!” He held his face in his hands, shaking his head. “I totally lost control…”

Shio stared at the man groveling before her. She could have run away at that moment, but her foolish curiosity got the best of her. After all, it didn’t seem like he had any intention of hurting her…

“H-how do you… kn-know me?” she stuttered out.

He looked up, surprised. “Oh! You didn’t recognize me? Sorry, I didn’t think I had changed that much…” he said, shifting about awkwardly. 

“Well,” he said, looking proud of himself, “It’s me! Taiyou Mitsuboshi!”

“I-I don’t know anyone by that name,” came Shio’s reply.

Mitsuboshi’s confidence melted away. “You… don’t remember me? But--”

“W-Wait,” Shio interrupted, waving her hands. After taking a deep breath to regain her composure, she continued. “Before you start freaking out again, there’s a park close by. Can we maybe go talk there instead of here?”

“Oh!” Mitsuboshi had seemingly been so occupied with his outburst that he had forgotten about the fact that they were both still sitting on the sidewalk. “Yes, of course, sorry!” he apologized, scrambling to get up. He reached out his hand for her once again.

“No thanks,” Shio said dryly.

Mitsuboshi looked away, ashamed. “S-sorry…”

“It’s fine,” Shio replied, getting up on her own. “But you’ve got some explaining to do, Mitsuboshi-san. Let’s go.”

\---

“You met me… back then?”

Shio and Mitsuboshi sat side by side on a bench, their figures illuminated by the fluorescent lights that dotted the deserted park.

Mitsuboshi nodded. “I found you wandering around one night, but while I was talking to you I got attacked by some thugs…” He shifted uncomfortably. “I got knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, Matsuzaka-san had already taken you away.”

Shio scratched her head. “I don’t remember anything like that…” She had no recollection of ever wandering outside at all, let alone of any of the things that Mitsuboshi described. 

“Well, it was almost a decade ago. I suppose it’s not unbelievable for you to forget,” Mitsuboshi replied.

He was right that it was a long time ago, but to have a complete gap in her memory of such an important period of her life… it left Shio feeling uneasy.

“Were you… friends with Satou-chan?” Shio asked.

Mitsuboshi was silent for several moments, as if he was searching for an answer. “We were co-workers. She helped me out sometimes, and I helped her out sometimes.” He stared at the ground as he continued. “I don’t think she cared much at all for having friends.” 

“To be honest, she…” He paused, swallowing. “She scared the shit out of me.”

“Huh?” Shio said, taken aback.

“On the outside, she seemed normal and polite… maybe even like a bit of an airhead.” His voice began to grow shaky. “But under the surface, she was... cold, ruthless. And once you saw that side of her, you’d notice that her eyes never seemed to have anything behind them.”

Shio sat in shocked silence. That sounded nothing at all like the Satou that she knew. Satou was always incredibly kind and loving; she took care of Shio, cooked for her, bought her sweets, and protected her with her love.

_ How could Satou-chan ever be cold or ruthle-- _

Shio tensed up.

“I-I should go,” Shio stammered, shooting up from the bench.

“What? Wh--”

“Thank you, Mitsuboshi-san,” Shio interrupted. “Your story has been interesting, but it’s getting late, and I should be getting ho--”

Mitsuboshi grabbed her arm. “No! You can’t go! I won’t let this opportunity escape me again!” he exclaimed, distraught.

Struggling against his grip, Shio immediately began to regret her decision to not run away earlier. “What are you talking about? Let go of me!”

Mitsuboshi’s face began to twist into the ecstatic expression that he had shown when he had first bumped into her. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this moment?! I thought you were dead! I prayed night after night that you would come back to me, and now here you are!”

He brought his head up, yelling into the night sky. “Thank you, God! You brought back my angel! My Shio-chan!”

Shio’s body pumped with adrenaline as she continued her attempts to escape. As much as she was struggling, he was a grown man, and she was a teenage girl; how the hell was she going to overpower him? 

Mitsuboshi looked back down at Shio. “I didn’t recognize you at first, but the waves that were sent through me when I touched you…” He made a noise of ecstasy, drooling. “It was unmistakable! It could be nobody else but my Shio-chan! I swear I’ll never let go of you again!”

_ Bitter... _

His grip grew tighter. “Come on, Shio-chan… let’s go back to my apartment! You can stay with me there!”

_ Bitter, bitter… _

“I’m so lonely… I can’t bring myself to spend time with women my age! You’re all I have! Please don’t go!”

_ So, so bitter... _

“I swear I’ll treat you way better than your Satou-chan ever did!”

Shio felt a sudden wave of energy shoot through her. Before she could think anything else, she punched Mitsuboshi in the nose as hard as she could. He cried out in pain, and the hand that held her arm immediately went to his nose, freeing her from his grasp.

Without a second thought, Shio ran away as fast as she possibly could towards her apartment.

Mitsuboshi, on the other hand, was left sitting on the park bench, utterly shocked, with blood gushing out of his nose.


	3. Severed Ties

Having finally reached her apartment, Shio slammed the door behind her and quickly locked it. She turned around, slumping against it as she gasped for air. Despite looking back several times to make sure she wasn’t being chased, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from running the entire way back home.

As she caught her breath, Shio stared down at her hands in awe. Did she really punch him that hard? Frankly, she had no idea that she had that sort of capability within her. However, she decided not to dwell on it for long; she was just incredibly grateful to be out of that situation and back in her apartment.

After a few minutes, Shio felt stable enough to get up. After lazily kicking off her shoes and turning on the lights, she went to face Satou.

She pored over her features; her beautiful pink hair, her clear skin, her soft magenta eyes. When she was gazing at the love of her life like this, no matter how exhausted she felt, Shio could never help but feel uplifted.

_I’m safe here now, with Satou-chan._

“Hey, Satou-chan!” Shio flashed a smile. “I’m really sorry that I’m back so late! I ran into a bit of trouble, and…”

Shio’s expression darkened a bit as she thought back to her conversation with Mitsuboshi; his unsettling obsession with her, and the odd things that he said about Satou.

_She doesn’t need to hear about someone like that._

“Well, it’s not important. All that matters is that I’m back here with you, safe and sound!” 

“Although…” Shio glanced at her phone, pouting. “It’s definitely too late to get cooking… I guess leftover curry will have to do,” she sighed, heading into the kitchen.

Shio set her phone on the counter as she retrieved the plastic container of last night’s curry from the fridge. After setting the container in the microwave to heat up, Shio’s mind began to wander as she waited.

As much as she hated it, her thoughts continued to drift back to Mitsuboshi. Who exactly was he? He was clearly familiar with her, but she had absolutely no memories of him or anything that he had described of their supposed meeting so long ago. 

A sinking feeling began to wash over Shio. Was it truly possible for her to completely forget something so significant from the most important time of her life? Perhaps she could jog her memory if she could remember something else from that time as context…

Before Shio’s thoughts could take off any further, she was interrupted by the sound of her phone vibrating. She lifted it off the counter to check it.

Shio stared for what felt like an eternity at the name displayed on the screen. She read it over and over, each time not seeming to register what it was. It was a null value, grinding her brain to a halt. Her hand didn’t even seem to feel the phone’s vibrations.

She likely would have stayed like that if not for the beeping of the microwave making her aware of her surroundings once more, and reminding her that she still had not actually answered the call. She let out a long sigh.

This was the last thing she wanted to have to deal with right now.

“Asahi.”

“Shio! Hello!” rang the overly enthusiastic voice on the other end. “How are you doing tonight? Good, I hope!”

Shio’s eyes narrowed. “Why did you call me?” she asked in monotone.

“Ah, sorry...” Asahi’s enthusiasm faded away. “I guess I’ll get straight to the point, then… You see, Mom hasn’t been doing very well lately, and…”

There was a long pause. Shio raised an eyebrow, but her expression otherwise remained blank. “And what?”

“Well… I wanted to ask if you, um… wanted to spend some time with me and her, maybe this weekend?” Asahi’s tone picked up a bit. “Just the three of us, as a family. You know, because, well, I’m sure she misses you.”

“I know I do…” he added, trailing off.

“I’m not interested.”

Asahi didn’t respond. For several seconds, the two were silent.

Shio grew impatient. “If that’s all, then goodnight.”

As she brought her finger to the phone to end the call, a response finally came.

“Why are you like this…?”

Shio’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Why are you always like this?” Asahi repeated, his voice cracking a bit. He sounded like he was going to cry.

Shio opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

“I do so much for you, but you still constantly push me away. I’ve gone through so much for you, Shio. Do you not realize that, or do you just not care?” His tone began to become more fierce. “You’re living in my apartment. The apartment that I left you alone in so I could go take care of Mom. Mom who is now dying.”

“Mom who abandoned me.”

“Mom who saved us from Dad! Mom who went to prison for five years for what she did for us!” Asahi was yelling now. “She cares about you, Shio! The least you could do is care back! How are you any fucking better than her when you’re here abandoning us?! People can do bad things, Shio, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad people!”

Asahi’s voice lowered suddenly. “I’d figure you, of all people, would believe in that.”

Shio hung up.

Gently placing the phone back down on the counter, she walked over to Satou, her head down. Her teeth grinded against each other, and her hands were tightly balled into fists.

“Satou-chan...” She spoke calmly. “Why did you have to keep me alive?”

Without looking up, she staggered away into her bedroom, leaving her dinner in the microwave.

\---

_I’m here again…_

Shio once again stood in a void, surrounded by red.

_No… I hate this place…_

She began running.

_I have to escape…_

She ran as fast as she could, nothing changed. It was all just red.

_Someone… anyone… help me…_

Out of the void, Shio spotted a figure.

_Who is that?_

She began to run towards it. As she grew closer, she noticed that the figure seemed… familiar.

_Kiiya-kun?_

Kiiya stood motionless, expressionless, in front of her.

_Kiiya-kun, please, help me!_

Finally reaching him, she threw her arms around him in an embrace. 

Except she didn’t, because her arms simply went through him.

_What?_

Shio stared in absolute terror at Kiiya, who was dissipating in front of her.

_No! Come back, please!_

The sound of TV static pierced through the silence of the void.

_NO!_

Shio desperately searched around for something to help her. This time she spotted two figures a short distance in front of her.

_Asahi! Mom!_

She stumbled into a run once again. However, before she could even get close, the two began to fade away.

_No! Please don’t go!_

By the time she reached them, they had already completely disappeared, and the noise grew louder.

Shio collapsed onto the floor, her head in her hands.

_SOMEBODY HELP ME!_

Abruptly, the noise stopped. Instead, Shio could hear the sound of footsteps.

_Huh?_

Looking up, she saw a girl with long, pink hair. She was walking away from her.

_Satou-chan! Wait!_

Shio scrambled to get up, reaching for the girl’s hand. To her relief, it was solid.

_Satou-chan… I need you…_

Suddenly, Shio felt herself being pushed back down onto the ground, losing her hold on the girl’s hand.

_Satou-chan...?_

Shio looked up to find Satou staring down at her with an expression of contempt. Her eyes seemed completely dead.

**No.**

**I don’t need you anymore.**

The noise suddenly took over Shio’s world, and her screams were lost to the void.


	4. Bitter Thoughts

Shio stumbled out of her bedroom, feeling so dissociated that she wasn’t even completely sure that she wasn’t still dreaming. Her nightmare had left her feeling so drained that she didn’t even have it in her to cry.

The words that Satou had spoken to her in her nightmare continuously rang in her ears, and the visions of her menacing stare burned holes in her mind.

Shio was so out of it that she had failed to realize that Satou was now before her once more; however, this version was certainly a lot more pleasant.

Even so… was it just her imagination, or did she seem a bit less inviting than usual?

“Ah… g-good morning, Satou-chan,” she managed to choke out. “Sorry if I seem weird, I just…”

Shio hesitated. She wanted to tell her. About the nightmares, about Mitsuboshi, about the gaps in her memories… but she didn’t. She didn’t know what, but something pulled her back.

“...W-Well, nevermind. It doesn’t really matter,” she stammered. “I’m just… gonna go make breakfast.”

As she made her way into the kitchen, she suddenly remembered that the leftover curry from last night was still sitting in the microwave.

“Well jeez, no wonder I feel so out of it. I forgot to eat last night,” Shio said, tossing the cold curry in the garbage bin. “Surely a good breakfast will get me feeling better.” She wasn’t sure if she was saying these things for Satou or herself, but she nevertheless latched onto the convenient narrative.

Despite her hopes, she still found herself plagued with bitter thoughts even with a full stomach.

It was just a stupid nightmare. It wasn’t real. So why did it terrify her so much?

Looking back into the apartment as she left for school, Shio felt a chill run up her spine.

_ Has this place always been so empty? _

\---

Shio breathed a sigh of relief as she finally began her walk home from work. The day had dragged on much longer than it should have; she had spent much of the day completely zoned out, and this earned her scoldings from both her teachers and her boss.

How was she supposed to help it, though? No matter how she tried to distract herself, her thoughts just kept on racing.

_ Why can’t I remember…? _

All day, Shio had been sifting through her memories, trying to remember more about Satou that would hopefully put her doubts to rest… but every time she felt like she was close to remembering something important, it slipped away from her.

What she had hoped would put her mind at ease only served to fuel her fears more as she realized how little she actually seemed to remember of her time with Satou.

_ It all feels so… blurry… _

Satou’s haunting expression from nightmare flashed in her mind, and Mitsuboshi’s words echoed.

_ Cold, ruthless… _

_ Nothing behind her eyes... _

Shio stiffened, her pace quickening.

_ Satou-chan… who were you? _

“Shio.”

Shio nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her name spoken from behind her. Snapping around, she saw a familiar face.

“K-Kiiya-kun?”

Shio felt her cheeks become warm. She had spent so much time thinking about Satou that she had completely forgotten about her troubles with Kiiya. 

Unable to fully process the situation, Shio began speaking without any real plan for what she was going to say. “I-I…. um… Wha-”

“Shio, what exactly are you playing at?”

Panic quickly flooded Shio’s body. Every single muscle in her body tensed up.

“W-what do you mean?”

Kiiya gritted his teeth. “Don’t play dumb.”

“Kiiya-kun, I-I don’t…”

“Fine! I’ll make it easy for you!” Kiiya suddenly spat. He then pulled out his phone, fiddled with it for a moment, and stuck it in Shio’s face.

Staring at her was a picture of her and Mitsuboshi on the park bench from last night. Her eyes widened.

“There it is. Did you enjoy your little late night date in the park?” Kiiya hissed. “Is that old man the one who’s in your heart?” He clenched his fists, each word dripping more and more with contempt. “Is that who you rejected me for?”

Shio tried to speak up, but found that her voice was missing.

_ This is a misunderstanding! _

_ I would never do something like that! _

_ Please, let me explain! _

No matter how much she screamed in her head, not a sound came out of her in reality. Her throat felt constricted, as if she was being choked.

Kiiya seemed to take her silence as a confirmation. He huffed.

“Do you have any idea how humiliating it was?” His voice had shifted in tone, now sounding as if he was on the verge of tears. “How terrible it felt to see you smile at me, only to get tossed away and abandoned? Did you WANT for me to feel like shit?”

His voice became even more broken as he continued. “I had to find out who you were with. Who you wanted more than me. For it to be like this…” He shook his head. “I bet he’s not the only one you’ve let into your heart, huh?” 

For a moment, he only stared at her, his eyes burning with rage and grief. “Say something, god damn it!”

Tears streaked down Shio’s face. She couldn’t say anything. She was trapped. Even if it was a misunderstanding, her best friend was suffering, it was all her fault, and she couldn’t even do anything to stop it.

Kiiya’s voice suddenly became much more sinister. “Fine then. Maybe I should show you how it feels.” He waved his phone in front of her face, taunting her. “I’ll show this to everyone. What would they think?”

He paused for another moment, seemingly waiting for a response. When he didn’t get one, he sighed and turned away. “Whatever. I’m leaving.”

Somehow, Shio managed to choke out a few words. “Kiiya-kun…. I’m…

“Forget it, Shio. It’s over.”

Hearing those words made Shio feel as if she was being torn apart.

And, much like her last encounter with Kiiya, she could do nothing but run away.

\---

Shio’s tears flowed down the sides of her face as she sprinted towards her apartment. Her bag slammed into her hip with every step, the muscles in her legs burned, and her lungs strained for oxygen; but she didn’t care about any of that.

The thoughts that raced through her head were deafening.

_ You just lost your best friend. _

_ No… your only friend. _

_ He hates you now, and it’s your fault. _

_ You just sat there and watched his suffering. _

_ You freak. What the hell is wrong with you? _

_ You’re all alone now. _

_ Nobody loves you or cares about you. _

_ And it’s all your fault. _

Shio shook her hands against her head, as if she was trying to shake out her thoughts. She didn’t care what it took to get rid of them. She just needed them gone, at all costs. She needed to escape.

Her eyes opened wide as she found what she needed.

_ Satou-chan… _

_ I need Satou-chan... _

_ As long as I have her… things will be okay... _

_ This must just be my punishment... for doubting her. _

_ I’m sorry, Satou-chan… _

_ I’ll be there soon… _

By this time, Shio had already reached the front of her apartment building. As she flew up the stairs and past the long row of doors, Satou invaded her mind more and more. She couldn’t wait to get home and pour her heart out to her, to feel loved by her.

When she reached her door, she threw it open without hesitation.

She didn’t even notice that it had been unlocked.

“Satou-chan! I-”

She quickly cut herself off.

Asahi stood before her, a dead look in his eyes, and Shio felt as if her heart had stopped beating.


	5. Broken Jar

_No._

_Not now._

_Anytime but now._

Asahi sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Shio, let’s just… talk for a bit.”

"Why are you here?” Shio said, her voice shaky.

“I came to take you to dinner,” Asahi replied, sounding tired. “I felt really bad for yelling at you last night, so I thought I would surprise you with a treat.”

“Why did you think that would be a good idea?”

Asahi rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know.”

“It wasn’t," Shio spat.

He sighed heavily. “Yeah."

Silence filled the room for several moments, leaving the two to bathe in the tension of the situation.

It had been a while since Shio had actually seen her older brother in person; he had definitely seen better days. His hair was messy and unkempt, and dark circles underlined his tired eyes. He was also abnormally skinny; likely due to poor nutrition and his tendency to skip meals. 

Even as he stared right at her, Shio couldn’t seem to read his expression. He almost looked uninterested.

Shio decided to break the silence.

“You came at a really, really bad time."

“To be completely honest, Shio, I don’t really care,” Asahi replied, shaking his head. “I… I just…” He gestured to the picture of Satou on the wall. “I just don't understand you, Shio… I thought you were over this. I thought that by now, at this age, you would have stopped this.” Asahi huffed. “I guess that’s just me being too optimistic again.”

Shio felt anger flare up inside her. “Stopped what? What are you talking about?”

“Your idolization of a fucking murderer!” shouted Asahi in response, his expression turning fierce.

Shio flinched.

_Murderer?_

_That’s…_

Shio clenched her fists. “Don’t talk about her like that,” she grumbled through gritted teeth.

Asahi looked surprised by the response, seeming to take a few moments to process it before replying. “Shio, have you actually forgotten? Or…” he paused, narrowing his eyes. “Do you just not care?”

Shio didn’t respond. Bitter memories were beginning to flood into her; things buried in her subconscious that made her all too aware of why they were buried there in the first place. Teardrops began to form in the corners of her eyes.

“Do you have any idea how it feels for me, Shio?” Asahi started. “How it feels, after all of the shit I go through for you, for you to completely dismiss me and instead devote yourself to the person who kidnapped you and put me through hell?” His words held more and more fury as he continued with his rant. “I went through so much just to get you back from that bitch, and this is how I’m fucking repaid?!”

Asahi’s breath seemed to stagger for a moment as he squatted down, covering his face. “She killed my friend, Shio.” he said, his words muffled by his hands. “She killed Shoko…”

Shio felt a twinge of an unexpected emotion shoot through her. She bent slightly over, looking down at her trembling older brother.

_That girl… was she…?_

Without thinking, Shio began to reach a shaking hand towards Asahi, unsure of why she was doing it or what exactly she was even going to do.

Before she could do anything, Asahi suddenly shot up and began flailing wildly, his hands on his head. “God damn it, God damn it, GOD DAMN IT!” he shouted, his voice broken. “I just wanted a happy ending! Why did you have to fuck it up so bad?! Why can’t you just be fucking normal?!” With tears in his eyes, Asahi directed the full force of his feelings onto Shio.

“WHY AM I FUCKING STUCK WITH YOU?!”

Shio stepped back in shock, her tears now flowing freely. She made no sounds as she cried.

The apartment fell silent, the only sound being that of Asahi’s heavy breathing as he glared into Shio. His words continued to echo through Shio’s head, unrelenting in their assault.

After what seemed like an eternity, Asahi’s expression settled back into the tired one he wore previously.

“Whatever. Just get rid of this,” he said, pointing to the picture of Satou. His voice was still somewhat shaky. “I obviously can’t make you change. I’ve given up on that. I just don’t want to see any of _her_ in my apartment.” He moved behind Shio, seemingly about to leave. “I should just be glad she’s dead.”

In that moment, Shio felt something inside of her shift. All of the thoughts and feelings that had been stirring inside of her for so long had reached a critical point. They bubbled out of her uncontrollably, and she could do nothing but let them take her over.

“H-How are... you... any different?” Her entire body trembled as the words spilled out of her.

“What?”

Shio turned around to face Asahi. He stood frozen, looking over his shoulder, his face bewildered.

“All of this… is y-your fault!” Shio shouted through tears. “You r-ruined… everything!”

Memories flashed through Shio’s head; images of fire, blood, and the world upside down as she fell towards it.

“B-because you… tried to stop her...” Shio sputtered. “I would be h-happy… right now... if not for you...” She looked down at the pink ring that she wore on her hand; the ring that Satou had bought for her.

_My wedding ring..._

Asahi spoke up, his voice sinister. “Don’t you dare compare me to that… _monster_.”

_Bitter..._

“I would be happy with Satou-chan if not for you!” she exploded, no longer able to contain her rage. “But she’s dead, because you showed up! It’s your fault that I’m like this! Why couldn’t you just let me be happy?!”

“Are you insane?!” Asahi shouted back. “Because she fucking kidnapped you! She was a MURDERER!”

_Bitter, bitter..._

“I don’t care! She loved me, and I loved her!” Shio snarled. “Way more than I’ll ever love you!”

Asahi recoiled, his expression a terrible mix of disgust, terror, and betrayal. However, after a few moments, something about him seemed to shift.

His voice was eerily calm as he spoke up again. “She never loved you, Shio.”

Shio felt her body tense up. "W-wha-"

Asahi ignored her. “She was manipulating you. Nothing you feel for her is real.”

_It's so bitter..._

“You were just there to fulfill a fantasy. It could’ve been anyone.”

_Too bitter..._

"That girl was nothing but a manipulative, evil monster…"

_Make it stop, make it stop…_

_"_ And now she's rotting in hell, where she belongs."

“STOP IT! SHUT UP!”

In a flash, the pressure building inside of Shio was released. Adrenaline shot through her body, her heart pounding and blood rushing. She lunged at Asahi, the two falling backwards onto the floor. A loud thud could be heard as Asahi’s head slammed hard into the tile that made up the entrance to the apartment. The impact dazed him, his eyes losing focus for a few moments. 

Shio was on top of him now, her vision blurring as she fully gave herself in to rage. She wrapped her hands around Asahi’s neck, jamming her thumbs into his throat. He struggled in vain underneath her, his weak arms unable to free his neck from her grip. 

The siblings glared into each other. Shio’s mind felt as if it was screaming, but she was silent apart from her breathing as she continued to choke Asahi. She watched as his expression slowly shifted from one of rage to one of terror as his struggles to free himself gradually slowed and his face became more and more pale.

By the time Shio’s rage began to subside, his movements had stopped completely. Her eyes widened as she looked into his; although they were still looking at her, they had become glazed over and devoid. She quickly released her hold on him, yet he remained completely still beneath her.

Shio stared with horror into the lifeless eyes of her older brother, the full force of what she had just done hitting her like a truck.

The world around Shio began spinning as she shattered.


	6. Fallen Angel

_ Spinning... spinning... spinning... _

The entire world was a blur.

_ Is this... a nightmare? _

She could feel her heartbeat. She could feel her breathing. She could feel her body trembling. An overwhelming sense of dread flooded her. This nightmare was real.

Shio staggered to her feet and stared into nothingness.

_ What do I do...? _

There was nothing to do.

_ There’s nothing left… _

Everything was gone. Everyone was gone. There was no point.

Nothing remained for her to fall back on.

_ I have to… get out… _

Shio turned to Satou. She stared into her unchanging expression for a long, long time; her escape, now corrupted. What once had given her a warm, sweet feeling like no other now only left her feeling numb.

Even still, her heart stirred ever so slightly as her gaze fell to the ribbon-wrapped ring that lied on the table below. Her breath hitched for a moment.

Quickly and without a word, she slipped off her ring and placed it next to its counterpart on the table before turning away to the door.

As she moved to the door, Shio took one last glance at her brother. She found herself frozen as her gaze fell on him, her emotions crashing down on her.

**_Murderer._ **

She quickly averted her eyes, rubbing her tears away as she exited the apartment.

\---

A cool breeze blew lightly against Shio’s face as she looked over the city. The stars above shone faintly, their radiance blotted out by the bright lights of the buildings below. It was a beautiful night, and Shio took note of it.

She recalled the last time that she had been in a place like this. She had been with Satou, surrounded by scorching flames, ready to throw her life away for the sake of her love.

Now, she was completely alone, surrounded only by the cool night air.

She trembled as she inched closer to the edge, shutting her eyes tightly.

_ What will happen after I die…? _

_ Maybe I’ll go to Hell…  _

_ I don’t think I’d be able to go to Heaven now. _

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, her breaths becoming heavier.

_ Maybe I’ll end up with Satou-chan… _

_ Or… Asahi… _

She squeezed her hands tightly into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms.

_ Or maybe… nothing will happen. _

_ Maybe I’ll just disappear. _

Drawing in a sharp breath, Shio braced herself.

_It's okay..._

_It's... better this way._

And then she was falling.

She opened her eyes to find the world upside down. Air rushed around her, making her hair and clothes flap around wildly. The ground below rapidly approached.

Tears clouded her vision as she fell.

_ I’m sorry… _

_ Kiiya-kun… _

_ Asahi, Mom… _

_ Satou-chan… _

_ I hope you can forgive me. _

Shio closed her eyes.

_ Goodbye, my happy sugar life. _


End file.
